to the north shore!

last weekend, chad and i had our mini retreat weekend where we went up to the north shore. the north shore is a scenic area filled with trees, lakes, and more trees. though chad and i may be considered city people, we love to get out in the woods and hike around. so we thought that by going up to the north shore it would be a perfect way to embrace both six months of marriage and a chance to actually relax. on our first day up there, the weather was cold! minnesota got a cold front so we went from having temps in the 80s lato the low 50s. i have to say i was very unprepared for this but luckily i brought my lulu lemon zip up to help keep me warm.

 **spilt rock light house is over there to the left! we didn't want to pay the admission price to take the tour so we thought we would make our own, which worked great! sometimes you gotta make your own path**

 **i loved the water falls, so cool**

**hiking around gooseberry falls**

my favorite part of the trip was when we ventured out to see the famous spilt rock lighthouse (it is shown in the 5th and 6th picture).the fog looked so cool when we were standing there looking out onto the lake. it was heavenly. i also loved gooseberry falls. this little trip was the perfect time away with my man. we kept calling it "vacation" even though realistically we didn't take any time off work and it was just two days. but everything is what you make it! so happy six month to my husband i love you more and more each day.

what are your favorite types of vacations?

in case you forgot...

in case anyone forgot.

ice cream is still my best friend. ;) and if you are in the minneapolis area you have to check all of these amazing spots shown in my pictures 1// lyndens 2// grand ole creamery 3// sebastian joes

and bring a friend or two, they will thank you later :)

and to add to this problem,  a good ice cream shop, izzy's, opened a new location just 2 blocks from my work. how am i going to control myself?! ;)

does anyone else love ice cream as much as i do... do i  need an intervention?

ps: coming tomorrow: post about chad and i's trip up to the north shore.

i used to say...

i used to say that i didn't want to have a dog until we started having kids (a long time from now).

but... now after seeing all of these cute little pups walking around the lake and i think "oh i want one!" and it is becoming an obsessive matter. in my spare time i google different type of puppies. and come up with cute names.  i always get way ahead of myself but i think "it would be so fun to have a pup so excited to see you when you get home or a little guy to take around the block"

i know the latest rage are bulldogs. but dang are they cute! and if i had to pick a puppy today, i would probably go with the english bull dog. i love their wrinkly old man faces. and cubby bodies. and i hear they like to cuddle!

so i have to say... times are changing. and i want a little guy of my own! though we probably won't get our own little pup for a while, if not a long while. i will just be dreaming about them instead!
**photo above is dug, my nanny family's french bulldog**

away for the weekend

happy friday everyone. chad and i are heading out of town this weekend to a cute little town this weekend called duluth. we are going up there to do some antiquing, sight seeing, and to celebrate six months of marriage (how in the world has it already been six months?!) i know people may think it is silly to celebrate the six month mark, but i like to embrace every little moment. and document it along the way. :)

on a side note, i was looking at our packing list and laughed out loud when i saw this: mason jars w/ coldpress (iced coffee)

we like to make sure we have good coffee while we are away (or really every day!)

hope everyone has a lovely weekend! and if any minnesota people have recommendations of fun things to do in duluth i would love to hear them.

life lately...

life lately according to chad and i's iphones/instagram

1// love this lady. so thankful to have met her in college!2// heck this cutie out! he is only five weeks old. such a precious little life. 3// i finally got my hot soup i wanted!!! yay, have you ever had the veggie pesto soup from panera? it is my favorite but is only served monday,wednesday, and friday so you have to be strategic when you go! 4// i have been wearing my hair in a little side bun everyday this week. i don't know where this little idea came from.. but i is becoming an addicting thing.

6// baby and i played piano in the park.. more on this in a later post! 7-10// chad was gone over the weekend but he came home sunday afternoon. and it was soo nice to have him home again. we celebrated (because don't you too celebrate all of the little things in life? ;) ) by going and getting a double espresso from dogwood (which is amazing and delicious if you are in the minneapolis area) and walked around a lake. simple lovely summer date.

heather's happiness project

"i didn't want to look back at the ened of my life after some great catastrophe and think "how happy i used to be then if i'd only realized it. i needed to think about this, how could i discipline myself to feel grateful for my ordinary day? how could i set a higher standard for myself.....all of these thoughts flooded through my mind, and as i sat on that crowded bus, i grasped two things: i wasn't as happy as i could be, and my life wasn't going to change unless i made it change. in that single moment with that realization, i decided to dedicate a year to trying to be happier" gretchen rubin, happiness project, pg.3

have you heard of the book the happiness project? it is a memoir dedicated to a womens decision to try and become happier in a years time. she was always a happy individual but felt that she could do more to make herself actually more happier. and it worked! every month she would give herself new goals to try and make herself happier, such as sing in the morning, find a new hobby, make a new friend. it was SO inspiring that i want to start doing my own happiness project. granted i am a very happy person, but could i try and become happier, absolutely! this book really emphasizes that happiness is something that we choose. we can all become happier people but we do have to work at it. in the book, the author gretchen starts with her "12 commandments" of her happiness project that outlines the overall goals she establishes in the months. and then each month comes up with a category to grow or find happiness in. so, i have come up with a few of my own commandments and goals for this month to  create a happier heather. who doesn't want to be happier?

heather's happiness rules

you can't do everything, it's okay to say no

get 8 hours of sleep

always wake up with enough time to enjoy the mornings

take 5 minutes a day to clean up and remove clutter

if you want to do something, do it! 

be a good friend

don't expect praise or appreciation 

enjoy each moment or process

think before you act or speak

august goals

read or do something you've never done

start a club

make a new friend

volunteer

smile even when you don't feel like it

read my bible everyday (sad to say i don't always do this)

keep reading about gardening so you can be more prepared for next year

do something with all of those pictures you take!

i am excited to start this little project of mine. the book was so insightful of how to find joy in all of the littlest moments. i want to be continiously pushing my growth as an individual, develop meaningful relationships, and to be the happiest i can be. so with that, comes a mini happiness project! 

fit report: let's walk!

...another reason why i love summer: it is so easy to get out and spend time outdoors. and when you get outdoors, you are usually more active. (another way to make healthy living apart of your lifestyle, get outside with friends and family!) you can go on a bike ride with friends, or walk around the lake with an iced tea. i have been so blessed that the majority of my hang outs lately have been with people, outside, and doing something slightly active. but the only problem is that it is so nice... that if you go on a walk with heather, chances are she is going to want some ice cream. (all things in balance!!)

anyway, here is the fit report for the week!

tuesday 40 minutes stair stepper life time (i love this thing, pair it with netflex and you hae a great combination!) 

thursday 3 mile run, 6 mile walk w/ my mother

friday 3 mile walk w/ my friend katie

sunday 2 mile run & work out video

**my friend kate and i walking around one of our lakes, drinking coffee and catching up!**

so i have obviously been spending most of my days walking, and i encourage you to do the same! take advantage of the long days and walk around. make it a social thing! it become a much more enjoyable thing.

as of healthy reading 

i just finished a book called the heavy which basically was a book that was written from a mother's perspective of how delt with her child's obesity. childhood obesity is a scary thing that is on the up rise. now it is predicted that the next generation of children will be 50% at risk for diabetes and may not out live their parents. this is not okay and as responsible citizens i think we need to be very aware of the types of foods we are feeding out children and the associated risks of obesity for those so young. the book was a very good insiders perspective of the issue and how difficult it was for her to manage with our cultural tendencies as americans that result in unhealthy behaviors. it was a great read and encourage anyone with kids or interested in the matter to go read it! 

how did you stay fit this week? how do you stay active with friends?

food of the week: organic foods

source
this week "food of the week" isn't about a specific food. rather the type of food you are putting into your body... so today we will be talking about organic food. today you can basically buy any food organic, rice cakes, milk, veggies. you can get it organic, but does it really need to be? there are several products that i do buy organic, but there are also even more products that i don't buy organic. the food industry has caught on to the marketing principles of labeling a food product "healthy".  they can label something organic, increase the price of it, and people will buy it because they feel like it will be healthier then the non-organic product.  but in all honesty the product is still not a healthy food choice. i.e. organic cheese crackers, these are still not the best food. this is one of those products that does not need to be bought organic (or in my personal opinion) if they have an organic option great! i would probably buy it, but i would make sure to compare the cost of the non-organic item to the organic one and decide if it does or does not make a difference.

this post will be more about buying organic produce and the reasoning behind why i choose to buy some of my food organic. keep in mind i am a newlywed, in graduate school so i don't have a lot of extra cash laying around but i recognize the value of buying these products organic so i can avoid pesticides and unnecessary chemicals in my body.

foods to buy organic:

life lately: summer heat

life lately via chad and i's iphone/instagram

1// baby and i went to the walker, a great museum in the minneapolis area! they have a great sculpture garden with lots of life sized pieces of art. this cherry on the spoon is a great local classic! the little baby loves going here. it is her favorite art museum 2// look at her cute little blue eyes 3// hot hot days around here! meaning more time beach side. we are experiencing the heat wave that a lot of midwest/ east coast people have. yesterday i passed an office building that said 97! and that isn't factoring in the humidity factor either. needless to say, lots of showers. and water. 4// lake nokomis, that is the closest minneapolis lake to chad and i, we go there often if we feel like doing a quick lap around the lake. then we usually stop and get some gelato at a local shop around there!

other things that have been going on lately:

it is still busy around here. i feel like my head is spinning. not to mention i haven't been sleeping well, which is never a problem for me lately?

also with all of this hot heat, i am craving more hot things? ironic right? i want hot mochas, hot soup... someone please tell me i am normal ( i know i am not, this is a very weird and abnormal thing) but, oh well. i have had a hot cappuccino the other day and it was delightful. i didn't care that it was 95 degrees out... now only if i could get some soup ;)

picnic in the park

since this blog has turned into "all of the reasons" i love summer. here is another one. community events. (and the majority of them are free!) i love it! there is all types of festivals, concerts, and even movies in the park during the summer. what a great way to get outside with some friends and family to enjoy it. 

the other day some friends and i went to a classical music concert in the park, we turned it into a little picnic and had some adult beverages and lemon pellegrino, it was great ;)

 **my friend angie and i, our picnic consisted of mostly snack-y types of foods. carrots, celery, a berry mix, cheese and crackers, and my favorite apples with cinnamon sugar over them! oh not to mention gushers ;)**

 **always love getting more pictures with him... though he may think we have a few hundred too many**

 we ended the night with nothing better then ice cream, my kind of night. summer your a dream.

food of the week: kebabs + strawberry juice

here is a recipe of how to make summer dinners lovely.

start by using a grill to get tasty, summery food that you can only eat during this season (at least when you live in the midwest)

add some fresh herbs from the garden. let them be your inspiration of what you will be cooking.

finish by putting fresh flowers on the table!

grilling + herbs + flowers = great summer meal. especially if eaten outdoors!

so, if you haven't noticed... grilling still going on at our house. it just doesn't get old when you can find so many recipes that provide such variety!  it is great. mix in all of the great herbs from our garden. so far this summer we have only had the same thing once (that the thing we repeated was just a side salad.. you know that corn one i loved!).

kebabs are what we have been doing as of lately. they are easy, flavorful. and pretty good! this one here was our favorite recipe as of lately

beef kebabs

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 small yellow onion grated
2 garlic cloves grated
1/4 pepper diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
ground pepper

sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt would work! i thought of this after)
1 freshly squeezed lime or lemon

heat the grill to medium high. combine all ingredients. divide the mixture into six equal parts. then between palms of hands, form each portion into 4 1 inch pattys. put the 4 pattys onto a skewer. grill until meet is browned.

add this with the corn salad. you will have a great meal!

and if you are looking for a nice summery juice! i have found your recipe

3-4 cucumbers
2-3 lemons
2-3 apples
1-2 kiwis (can keep skin on)
handful of strawberries

put into juicer and enjoy!

what food have you been loving latley?

life lately

my life lately via chad and i's iphone/instagram feed 

1 & 2// we went down to our dear friends, our former youth pastors in northfield a few weeks ago. we had such a blast hanging out and spending time with their family who we have grown close to over the past several years. this little lady, sally was the flower girl in our wedding and is just a gem! 3 &4// chad and i riding in our friends jeep with the top down. it was like a movie, a perfect summer night! 

 5// more chinese fire balloons, they are so fun! 6// baby at the lake. i think she already loves lakes as much as i do :) 7// dinner at brits pub for my dear friend kelly! i got this amazing pita wrap thing that somehow doesn't contain gluten. yum! 8// kel and i on her birthday. we have been friends for over ten years!

9// chad and i on a boat, what else is new ;) 10// if you are going to be at a lake, you gotta have berries! 11// isn't minneapolis just beautiful? 12// my sister laurel, who is biking across the country, was in minnesota over the 4th. so we naturally had to have a little sister time.  i miss her so much and cannot wait until she is home again!

13// my lover and i 14// plains of northern minnesota 15// soy beans 16// my favorite desert.... especially in the summer

other things that have been going on lately:

i recently started a new job at a local university as a research aid. i am loving it but am feeling a little overwhelmed. i am still nannying but decreased my hours. so to say it simply, i have been keeping myself pretty busy this summer with the two jobs while attending school and trying to be a wife/good family member/ and friend. i love it, but i just don't feel like i have enough time in the day. life is too short.

i am also on a strawberry kick. i feel like i am buying cartons like they are going out of business. they are just so so fresh right now i cant contain myself. good thing they are pretty reasonably priced right now!

freedom lakeside

well i hope everyone had a lovely time celebrating independence day! chad and packed up our bags and headed north to his family's cabin. it is a beautiful place in northern minnesota. we have created some wonderful memories, including when he proposed last memorial day weekend! we have been itching to get up there but because of work we hadn't gotten a full weekend up yet. thank goodness for extended holiday weekends because our little trip up north was exactly what we needed! 

**the kirseboms on the 4th (not going to lie, i have worn that red stripped tank for three 4th of julys in a row... next year i need to find a new patriotic outfit ;) )**

 ** coffee lakeside + fishing, it doesn't get better then that**

 **lacey attack**

 while we were up there we got some skiing in. i am still a fairly new skier but love any chance i get to get out on the water. chad is a whole lot better at it then i am, bu i am going to say that is because he's a guy, and the fact that i am still a newbie ;)

 we ended the night with watching some fireworks off the dock. it was so beautiful to see the collection of fireworks going off by the lake front. the only bummer was that attack of bug that bit up my legs. i am not kidding when i say i have 15 bug bites in a 6 inch radis. they were awful, but they aren't going to get me down, not on my favorite holiday! ;) i hope everyone had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. and once again, happy birthday america, land of the free!

fit report: i want a backyard garden

so...today is the day i am suppose to share my weekly fit report.

but i have to say... this past week was not a very fit week. and though it may not all attribute to one thing, i am going to blame the holiday weekend!

but that is life, there are times in your life where you must feast and fast. and this past weekend was a feasting weekend. not to say that i didn't make healthy choices, or that i didn't work out at all. but it was a weekend where i had second helpings of ice cream and did not hold back :)  but i still do have four "fit" things to share!

the first: i did get a few runs in last week(two). so it is better then nothing but, that is alright. embrace it and move on!

the second is i read wheat belly over the weekend which basically explained how the obesity crisis in the united states is closely linked to the annual increase of wheat and flour in the american diet. this book points out that through out the years wheat and flour have slowly been added into every product (mostly processed products), and as the united states became more dependent on these products, the obesity crisis continued to clime. a bit biased but it was still a good read and highly recommend it to anyone who does not know a lot about wheat based products and the associated risks with them.

the third is that i am gluten intolerant. this has been going on for a few months but i haven't shared this on the blog. after years of headaches and stomaches, fatigue and odd bowl movements, i have found the culprit! gluten. it has been a sad process with not being able to eat cookies and cupcakes. but i have found that i am feeling ten time better then i did a few months ago. now it is just a learning process of what does digest or does not digest well.

the fourth and final thing: i have been become obsessed with my dream garden. all i think about is how i am going to turn the entire backyard into a beautiful garden filled with flowers and veggies. i just love love love having the small garden that i have right now. its so great to walk out your back door and pick some fresh herbs to use for dinner. chad and i don't live in a place where we would be able to maintain a backyard garden but i am thinking that next year i may rent a plot within the local community so i can expand my gardening efforts!

so, how was your fit week? did you get any moving in the holiday weekend?

the must have bags for travel

well i am off at the lake my friend rachel is going to be posting here today about the best types of travel bags. how perfect is this! i am always looking around for cute and fun bags to bring with me while on the road. so with that, welcome rachel!

************

Hi all! I am thrilled to be posting on Heather’s darling blog today! My name is Rachel from Brachel Boulevard. The term “Brachel” started when my husband, Brandon, started joking about “celebrity” couple names. Brandon+Rachel=Brachel. Over the years, the joke continued and now “Brachel” has come to represent all of the wonderful things we have done as a couple. Over the last 4 years we have had two children, visited 12 countries, lived abroad once and are about to do it again! Our family of 4 is about to move to Spain in just 5 weeks. We are pretty much nervous wrecks but are incredibly excited at the same time! We would love to have you follow along at BrachelBoulevard.com

Like most ladies out there, I love a good bag, especially when traveling. I decided to put together a quick list of bags that I am craving for our upcoming move, and upcoming travel adventures. Swoon…

 camera bag * weekender * backpack * carry on

~Make sure to head over to Brachel Boulevard for a fun giveaway today~

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thanks again rachel for posting, i love all of these bags. generally speaking i tend to go the weekender route but will be using some of your recommendations for some trips i have planned in the next few months! make sure you guys go check out rachel and her adorable blog!

honee bee or bumble bee

hi friends. some people have been emailing asking me the "real name" of the blog. because things have been so crazy around here the full look of the blog has not been completed. we went from the old name, bumble bee, to the new name honee bee. we were planning on doing the update/look reveal at the end of may, but then summer hit and now on the weekends all i want chad to do is hang out with me. and not the computer. so thats the reasoning the the full launch has not occurred. we are working on it.. and when it is done it is going to be better then ever. but until that point, hang tight! honee bee will soon be fully launched!

happy birthday america

happy birthday USA! thank you for allowing us to live in a free nation. i know the struggles other nations have with freedom and i am so thankful that our founding fathers realized the need to bring freedom to the people. i thank our soliders and everyone who has fought for our freedoms.

in addition to it being the greatest holiday. it is the best holiday to get away and celebrate!  chad and i will be heading out north to his family's cabin where we will be lakeside and soaking up the sun! there will also be some fishing, swimming, and maybe a little water skiing. (guys i am telling you minnesota has the best summers around!)

 have a great and safe 4th of july and once again, happy birthday america!

food of the week: tea

so the food of the week, or rather the beverage of the week is tea!i am  a tea lover year round but in the summer i find myself drinking even more of it. hot or cold, i will always take some tea!  not to mention there are numerous benefits from drinking this luscious treat.

for instance tea..

.. helps boost exercise endurance
.. reduces risk for a heart attack
... has antioxidants meaning it helps prevent several cancers (oral, breast, skin, lung, and the list goes on)
... hydrates the body

in the summer i make a lot of sun tea and i frequently  order it out and about.

how to make sun tea at home:

two ways

the first: a large serving you can first take a larger pitcher, fill it up with water, place 6 tea bags of choice in the pitcher, and set outside in the sun for a few hours. my thought is the longer the better (and more flavor!)

or the second: individual serving take a few mason jars, fill with water. then add two tea bags to one mason jar. then place a few slices of lemon and sprigs of mint. set outside for a few hours to allow to steep!

if you are looking for a quick on the go tea solution i love starbucks tea options! my favorite tea beverage is a half passion tea (herbal) half green tea mix. its delicious!

do you like tea?

french loving + a mom outfit

the end of the month can be good or bad if you are a budgeter. it can mean "oh shoot, we went over our budget, we gotta stay in" or it can mean "sweet we have a little more in our budget then we thought we so we can go out for dinner" last month we lucked out and had the latter. so we headed over to saint paul and ate at one of my favorite restaurants salut. its a french restaurant that is filled with character. and with me loving all things french it is even more amazing.

however while we were there i began to notice how mommy my outfit looks...khakis, button up, sandals... i cropped  part of the photo because it was so unbearable. in the photo you can't see that the khakis have polka dots on them.. and my button shirt was some how more flatter.. but i was haunted knowing that my mother, who i love dearly, would wear this same exact outfit.

in other regards we had a great weekend spent with friends outdoors on the lake. a post coming on that later!

linking up with sami!